S Ramesh Channel NewsAsia 29 Jul 10;
SINGAPORE: The Singapore government is now looking at energy management practices for companies.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), Dr Amy Khor says the ministry is preparing to introduce the Energy Conservation Act which will come into force in 2013.
The legislation will set minimum energy management requirements for large industrial energy users.
Dr Khor says companies that consume more than the equivalent of 15 GWh of energy annually will be required to appoint an energy manager.
They would also have to monitor and report their energy use to the National Environment Agency (NEA) and develop and submit their energy efficiency improvement plans.
NEA is currently consulting with companies on the detailed requirements under the proposed Act.
Dr Khor adds that international experience indicates that implementing energy management programmes in companies is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency.
And companies can expect to reduce their energy consumption by at least 10 to 15 per cent.
Such energy management practices ought to be the norm for the companies says Dr Khor and some countries like Japan have mandated energy management practices for their companies.
Dr Khor said: "Sustainable development is a key priority for Singapore because it paves the way for a cleaner, greener environment.
"With a mere 710 sq km of land size, every part of this island is precious and a resource, we need to safeguard for future generations. We have set goals under the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint that will help Singapore continue to grow and prosper but in a responsible manner.
"To achieve these goals, it is imperative that we receive full support from the business community, and indeed from each and everyone in Singapore."
- CNA/jm
Government's energy efficiency drive takes shape
364 applications for NEA's Singapore Certified Energy Manager training grant approved
Joyce Hooi Business Times 30 Jul 10;
THE government's efforts to bridge the gaps between energy efficiency and corporations are gathering momentum.
Amy Khor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, revealed yesterday that 364 applications for the Singapore Certified Energy Manager (SCEM) training grant have been approved.
A sum of $6.6 million in grants was set aside in late 2008 by the National Environment Agency (NEA), with the aim of training 1,000 energy managers over 2-4 years.
According to Dr Khor, the applicants came mainly from the property and facilities management as well as the consultancy sectors.
'The government is now looking at energy management practices for companies,' said Dr Khor yesterday, during her speech at the National Sustainability Conference 2010.
'International experience indicates that the implementation of energy management programmes in companies is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency, and companies can expect to reduce their energy consumption by at least 10-15 per cent.'
Dr Khor also announced that the Energy Efficiency National Partnership, which was launched in April, has 77 partners to date, hailing from the chemicals, oil, electronics, wafer fabrication, pharmaceutical, and power generation industries.
The partnership was introduced to help energy-intensive corporations comply with the Energy Conservation Act, which will come into force in 2013.
'We are also reviewing the existing incentive schemes as well as exploring energy efficiency financing options to better cater to the needs of companies,' said Dr Khor.
Another scheme geared towards energy efficiency is also picking up pace.
The Energy Efficiency Improvement Assistance Scheme (EASe) has approved another 16 applications since March, bringing the total to 177.
The $10 million scheme administered by NEA co-funds the engagement of specialist companies for energy efficiency improvement.
'These projects, when implemented, are estimated to reap a total annual energy savings of $53 million and reduce electricity demand by 300 GWh per year,' said Dr Khor.
